It is no secret that I am a fan of many of the things (not all) that the new Pope has been up to. So I was very intrigued when it came out that on his cross-Atlantic flight he took the airplane microphone and addressed reporters. I was also surprised by the reports of the following … Read more about Who Am I To Judge? an honest question
Leaving Behind The ‘Liberal’ Label
Once is an incident. Twice is a trend. Three times is a pattern. This the now the 3rd time this thing idea about shying away from the label 'liberal' has come up. I heard it for the first time almost 10 years ago: "Emergents are just cool liberals". This came from conservative, evangelical … Read more about Leaving Behind The ‘Liberal’ Label
Day 14: Going to College with Christians
I have been waiting for us to arrive at Reed College. While I was fascinated with Albania and appreciate the Horse Brass Pub very much, I love Reed. I first learned about Reed through the book Blue Like Jazz which was written by Tony’s friend named named Don - who he mentions in this … Read more about Day 14: Going to College with Christians
Lessons from Blogging at Jesus Creed on Progressive & Liberal
I had the honor of guest blogging for Scot McKnight yesterday. It was a good opportunity to try something out with a different crowd. It was instigated by last weeks post in response to Roger Olsen and Scot McKnight. It was a fantastic conversation and I learned several things that I will take … Read more about Lessons from Blogging at Jesus Creed on Progressive & Liberal
There is a Difference Between Liberal and Progressive
Roger Olson caused some ripples last week when he posted “Why I am not a Liberal Christian”. Then Scot McKnight went and took it even farther with “What is a Liberal Anyway” and said : “Evangelicals have successfully made “liberal” a pejorative term. So today many liberals call themselves … Read more about There is a Difference Between Liberal and Progressive
what is happening IN religion – or when we talk about God
This weekend I will finish reading two books that we were given through the podcast (thank you publishers). The first is Peter Rollins new on The Idolatry of God and the second is Phil Snider’s Preaching After God. I have recently edited podcasts with both of these authors. [We put out the Phil … Read more about what is happening IN religion – or when we talk about God
That Sentence about Seminaries
Once in a while you run into a sentence that hits you like a ton of bricks. You can read thousands of sentences in order to get to it. Only rarely do you see it coming. Once in a while you are in a chapter that is so rich and nourishing that the sentence is just the Pièce de résistance. Over … Read more about That Sentence about Seminaries
You have to believe in Hell, Predestination, Election and the Book of Revelation
On last week’s TNT I said something that I have heard a lot of positive - and some negative - feedback on. I thought it would be good to continue the conversation here on the blog. My assertion was that: If you are a Christian, you have to believe something about hell. It is just not an option to … Read more about You have to believe in Hell, Predestination, Election and the Book of Revelation
Mormons in America, the White House & on Evangelical Radio with Jana Riess [podcast 170]
What would a PhD in American Religious History who converted to Christianity as a teen and then to Mormonism while at Princeton Seminary have to say about Romney's run for the White House? Well guess what? Jana Riess is here to chat about it. We discuss much more than the election including a … Read more about Mormons in America, the White House & on Evangelical Radio with Jana Riess [podcast 170]
Wild Goose or Mild Goose?
This past weekend I got to participate in one of best and most interesting experiences of my christian life - Wild Goose West. This was the festival’s first venture to the left coast and it did not disappoint! Billed as an intersection of 'Art, Justice, Music and Spirituality', the Goose brought … Read more about Wild Goose or Mild Goose?
An Evangelical Support for Same-Sex Marriage
I have been asked by several of my evangelical friends to both explain my position and help them to approach this conversation in a way that does not require them to disregard the Bible that they so value. I will do this as directly and effectively as I can without being dismissive. If I am too … Read more about An Evangelical Support for Same-Sex Marriage
Concern about the Collapse of the Mainline Liberal
There is a fascinating conversation these days about what exactly is going to happen to the the 'Old'line (what used to be the Mainline) denominations and why exactly it has happened. Both John Cobb (a while ago) and Diana Butler Bass (more recently) have had amazingly insightful takes about it on … Read more about Concern about the Collapse of the Mainline Liberal